1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to shims that are used to correct camber and toe of a vehicle wheel, and in particular, it relates to a shim device that can be installed without removing the wheel mount from the axle and can be angularly indexed to adjust the position of the taper of the shim for correction of both camber and toe.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have been various attempts at producing a shim to correct camber of a vehicle wheel. Improper camber increases tire wear significantly.
Shims are well known in the art as evidenced by the following patents:
The Farnam et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,160,561 describes a shim that is clamped between a component of a vehicle bumper assembly and a support member on a vehicle to provide desired spacing for bumper alignment. The Perkins U.S. Pat. No. 2,431,342 describes a shim device having a slot for use in machines wherein the shim is used as a spacer around a cap screw. The Castiglia U.S. Pat. No. 2,281,555 shows an annular tapered shim used to correct misalignment of knee action wheel mounts in a motor vehicle. The Boden U.S. Pat. No. 2,037,961 describes shims that are used to help mount the tapered roller bearings in an automobile differential mechanism. The shims have an arcuate configuration and are provided with deep notches. The notches engage the cap screws when in a slackened position and are inserted without removing the cap screws. The Walsh U.S. Pat. No. 776,971 shows an annular tapered part coupling which permits sections of unaligned pipe to be connected. However, none of the immediately above-mentioned patents describe shim devices suitable for mounting between an end plate of an axle and the wheel mount of a motor vehicle to adjust camber.
The Trussell U.S. Pat. No. 2,772,596 describes a shim arrangement used for adjusting both the camber and caster of an automobile. The shims are rectangularly-shaped tapered plates having a slot extending along the longitudinal axis of the plate. The shim is inserted so that the slot engages the bolt that holds the wheel onto the end plate of the axle. The portion of the shim that sticks out can be broken away along transversely positioned slots on the shim. Two shims can be used to interact with each other to correct both camber and caster. However, the correction of both camber and caster using the shim arrangement described in the Trussell Patent is very much a trial and error procedure with the shims having to be moved around until the desired camber and caster are achieved.
The Weiss et al U.S. Pat. No. 2,978,253 also has longitudinally slotted shims for correcting caster and camber by adjustment of the wheel suspension. Correction of camber and caster using the device of the Weiss Patent is also a trial and error procedure.
The Cooper U.S. Pat. No. 774,042 describes annularly shaped tapered shims for non-driven axles which may be rotated, coacting with each other providing a desired angle in the axle. The shims of the Cooper Patent, however, are not suitable for today's modern vehicles.
The Grove U.S. Pat. No. 4,037,680 describes a tapered annular ring having a plurality of bolt holes that is used as a shim for adjusting the camber between a spindle and the end plate of an axle. The openings are positioned to correspond to the position of the bolts that hold the spindle onto the end plate of the axle. The wheel and spindle is removed and the shim with tapered end down is positioned so that the bolts extend through the holes.
Similarly, the Specktor et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,195,862, assigned to the same assignee as the present application, describes an annularly tapered ring that is used as a shim to adjust camber between a wheel and an axle.